A TEENAGER has avoided being locked up after admitting his part in a city centre attack on French exchange students.

Shane Davies, 18, of Coddington, near Ledbury, admitted affray and handling stolen goods at Hereford Crown Court.

Richard Frank, prosecuting, told the court last week that four French students were having an evening drink on Hereford's Castle Green last July when they were approached by a group of “seven or eight” men, including Davies and Charlie Gore.

Gore asked one of the French students the time before punching the visitor in the face when he went to look at his mobile phone.

Mr Frank said Davies accepted using and threatening unlawful violence by throwing a few punches, but there was no evidence of any injury being caused.

He was subsequently handed a stolen phone and passed it on before it was thrown in the river.

Edward Hetherington, defending, said Davies was a young man who had had difficulties early in life. He had been placed by an outside agency in a hostel and accommodated with others who had anti-social views.

He had since found other accommodation and now sees his mother every day and also attends college.

Judge Pearce-Higgins sentenced the teenager to a 12-month community order concurrent to one he is already serving with 40 hours of unpaid work.

He must also pay a victim surcharge of £60, and was made subject to a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) for one year with a requirement of not entering the city centre except for probation meetings.

Gore, aged 23, of no fixed abode, admitted one count of inflicting GBH and was jailed for 34 months at an earlier hearing.